His Own Blood
by Sue24
Summary: Jack has a son that he has never known about until he tries to rob him
1. Default Chapter

*I clearly have no connections to the production of PotC because if I did I would be filthy rich and would be too busy spending my money to write fanfics.  
  
His Own Blood  
  
Jack Sparrow, free sea captain and owner of the most extravagant ship on the southern sae or sleazy old man clinging desperately to his one love? The man himself would, of course, prefer the first image of himself. He saw himself as the only captain good enough to commandeer the Black Pearl. It was special and no one less than perfect was adequate. Jack knew he wasn't perfect but it couldn't be helped and he still wouldn't give up the Pearl. He held an ideology that only the best would captain the Pearl but in reality he wouldn't and couldn't leave it, even with the knowledge that he wasn't perfect and never would be.  
  
Every woman he had every met, flirted with or went further would claim the latter as they frantically poured out tales of his lying, cheating and adultery. Actually, only one woman could claim adultery but she didn't. She chose to forget that she was better than all the other women, that Jack had chosen her over all others. Instead she demanded that she be left at the next port. She didn't care that Jack still loved her and wanted her and she didn't care what happened to herself. She never understood why he felt he had to be away at sea all the time. It wasn't within her comprehension to realise that Jack was a creature of the sea. He didn't belong on land with mere mortals. He was a higher life form, albeit it a drunk one. Jack would never give up his life on the sea for her so she left. Left because Jack loved the sea more than he loved her and she had finally recognised that major factor that had been a thorn in their relationship since the start. What neither of them had known at the time was that she was pregnant.  
  
*****  
  
Cora Jenkins had disappeared again. When she had arrived on the island some sixteen years ago she was accepted into the community and her story that she had been captured by pirates was also accepted. She had never told anyone the real truth about her past life but she had settled in well. She had made new friends, found a job as a typist in the governor's house and for the first time she was relaxed and happy. The sea no longer called to her and she broke away from it completely. It had never bound her as it had bound Jack. She had completely moved on. When the baby was born she told everyone that she had been married where she used to live. Her husband was shot dead as he tried to save her; people accepted it as the horrible truth. They knew pirates were evil and did no good. They separated families and broke up marriages and friendships. Eventually she was proposed to by one of the wealthier men in town. Cora, being a single mother with very little income, accepted at once. Her life improved beyond reasonable expectations and she didn't have to worry about anything. But one thing still troubled her. She still felt guilty about deserting Jack the way she had. She knew marriage was meant to be forever but now she had two husbands and she didn't know which husband she should be faithful to. Of course, she hadn't been faithful to Jack when she had walked off of his ship and straight into the arms of the English that he so despised. Jack was the past now, she couldn't possibly go back now that she had a husband, three children and so many new friends. She had the life she wanted now but there were certain days that she didn't feel so sure. When she thought she could see the sails of the Black Pearl and when Astley was gone all day and she knew he would be staring out at the ocean. On those days she could barely control herself so she went for a walk. Sometimes her walks lasted for hours and she ventured right to the other end of the island and Edward would get worried and send out search parties. Often he despaired of his scatty-brained wife, mostly he just loved her.  
  
This time the search party did not return with Cora until late into the night. She was shattered and barely able to move with exhaustion and her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. One of the men had half-carried, half- dragged her nearly the whole way home. When he saw the state she was in he decided to out her to bed and question her in the morning. There would be very little point because she wouldn't tell him a thing but at least he could vent his anger at her a bit. The two younger children had long been in bed but Astley, Cora's son from her previous marriage, had stayed up waiting for his beloved mother to return. He was attached to her in a way that Edward had never seen a teenage boy love his mother. He supposed this must be normal if you only had one parent with you and your real father had been tragically murdered. He knew that Astley didn't really like him all that much. He spent a great deal of his time at the smithy with another boy his age. William Turner was a 'commoner'. Years ago he had been plucked out of the sea and rescued by the Governor's ship. He had gone to live with the blacksmith but the old man didn't care much for children and would drink himself into an early grave. Nevertheless he was a bright boy and he seemed to be able to tolerate Astley, which gave Cora's son something to do during the long days.  
  
When he saw his mother being handled in an overly familiar manner by the peasants, a surge of anger rushed through the veins of fifteen year old Astley Jenkins. He rushed forward and pushed as many of them out of the way as possible before lifting his petite mother and gently carrying her into the house. He lay her down carefully on the sofa just as Edward came storming through the door. He had politely thanked everyone for their help and sent them off home. Now he was furious: again his wife had wandered off and left their children to their own devices. He was enraged by her complete lack of responsibility. If she had wanted to go for a walk she should have arranged for someone to look after the children and told someone when she would be back. Again he had been worried sick, believing that the worst had happened to the wife that he so adored.  
"Astley, go upstairs! Your mother is safe!" Not a request but a command. Reluctantly Astley began to trek up the vast staircase that led to the rest of the house after glaring at his step-father again.  
  
Upon Astley's exit Edward quickly began a violent tirade against Cora. She had everyone so worried; she had to consider Astley's future and the futures of the other children if she was hurt, she was needed at home to supervise the servants and to look after the younger children. Again Bryant had been left to walk home alone because no one had gone to the school yard to meet him and Alexandra had been left to play in the garden by herself. Anything could have happened to her.  
  
He was nearly finished his rant when he noticed that Cora hadn't yet tried to defend herself. It was most peculiar for her to not voice her opinions loud and clear whenever she felt the need and self-defence was never a problem if she was being accused. Finally he stopped when he saw how dull her eyes were and how listless her body was.  
"What is it?" he demanded impatiently.  
"Pirates," she whispered. "They'll be here tomorrow at dawn. They're coming back."  
"Good grief woman! Why didn't you say so?" Edward turned and rushed towards the servants' quarters where he would choose the fastest boy who would pass the message onto the Governor who could deal with the threat accordingly. When he returned to his wife she had already fallen asleep on the sofa.  
  
*****  
  
Captain Jack Sparrow stood at the wheel of his ship feeling the air streaming through his hair. The rest of the crew were already asleep but Jack knew he wouldn't sleep. His stomach was beginning to churn faster and faster. It was extremely unlike him to be nervous and he wasn't accustomed to the feeling. Tomorrow he would sail into Port Royal - the island where he had left his wife when she was sick of him. He had spent the last sixteen years sailing round the Caribbean, enjoying every island more than the last. He hadn't allowed anything to concern him but had simply taken life as it had been flung at him. Except that it had gotten boring. It had taken sixteen long years of fun, games and everything else that had taken his fancy. Eventually he realised that he was missing something. The moment he realised what was missing was the moment that he had headed for Port Royal. Cora was missing. He had tried so hard to live without her but it appeared that it simply wasn't possible. He had to have Cora by his side - whether she hated him was irrelevant but by morning she would know of his arrival if she didn't already and by morning everyone would know about her past.  
  
[A/N; I have no idea whether Jack despises the English but for the purposes of this story he does. They tried to kill him several times though so I'm guessing he's not a huge fan. I'm sorry its kinda short and kinda bad - I'll try to do better] 


	2. Preparing

*Again no relation to Mr Disney!!  
  
Cora Jenkins awoke during the night to the sound of Edward slamming the  
front door as he made for the governors house for an emergency meeting.  
The chaos regarding the pirate threat was phenomenal. The ship's presence  
was confirmed when the night watch had reported a "dark looking ship on  
the horizon". Everyone was desperately preparing for the worst. She could  
hear the noise before she had even opened the shutters. Men were trying  
to barricade their homes and businesses; women were gathering enough food  
together to last while they were stuck down in their cellars - purpose  
built for this very situation. It had recently become law that every  
house had to be able to provide safety and security for its residents in  
the face of a pirate threat.  
  
Small children were scampering around the streets having been woken while  
their surroundings were still hidden in the clutches of the night and  
thought that it was all a big adventure.  
  
The sound of the children outside reminded Cora of her own kids. Astley  
would want to go out and help the soldiers prepare for the pirates. If he  
was allowed to do so, he wouldn't be guaranteed a place in a cellar. She  
had to stop him!  
  
Rising from her bed, Cora pulled on her robe as she raced down the  
corridor to her son's room. She hadn't ran this fast in years, not since  
she was on the ship, running along the deck and into the arms of. she  
shook the memory out of her head. That ship was the past. Edward, the  
children and Port Royal were the present and future.  
  
Astley was gone!  
  
The door banged uselessly against the wall. The bed tidy, neatly made up  
just as the maids did it every morning. Astley had never gone to bed; he  
obviously had no intentions of going to sleep. He must have been  
listening at the top of the stairs when she had told Edward about the  
pirates. He must have decided to help his friend Will Turner. Turner  
would most certainly be helping the other men. He was a commoner and  
would be required to by his boss, Mr Brown. Astley, however, was a boy of  
fine parenting who should be safely hidden in a cellar along with the  
other wealthy boys. He should never be exposed to so much danger. Cora  
knew he wouldn't be able to cope.  
  
*****  
  
Alright, perhaps Astley had been desperately unhappy with his life but  
surely he could have considered his poor mother's feelings. Anyone could  
see that Mrs Jenkins was almost frantic with worry about her eldest son.  
How could he cause his mother so much heartache when he loved her so  
much?  
  
Lucinda de Winter was sitting in a corner of the cramped cellar waiting  
for Mrs Jenkins to give an order. She had been the only maid to go with  
her mistress. The others had wanted to be with their own husbands and  
children but Lucy had neither. All she had was two best friends in Astley  
Jenkins and William Turner and they had both disappeared. She had known  
that Will would have been summoned to the governor's house to await  
instructions but she had assumed that Astley would be safe with his  
parents, brother and sister. That said Edward wasn't here either. Of  
course, he wanted a promotion to Commodore Jenkins so he was probably off  
sucking up to the governor right now while his poor wife made herself  
hysterical.  
  
"Where are they? Don't they know I'm almost sick with worry? Where's  
Astley?  
  
Cora suddenly exploded from her side of the room. The other two children  
had been playing quietly in the corner until they heard their mother's  
violent outburst. The younger of the two, Alexandra, began crying herself  
after she saw the state her mother was in. The elder, Bryant stood up and  
puffed out his chest as he had seen his father doing.  
  
"Lucinda, I demand that you fetch some cold water and a towel for my  
mother!"  
  
"Yes, hurry Lucinda!" Alexandra added her piece as she recovered from her  
sobbing.  
  
Lucy was nearly rolling around on the floor in laughter at the sound of  
this. Little Bryant was only eight and his sister only five. They had  
never called her anything but Lucy in their entire lives. She had spent  
years playing with them when no one else would and yet here they were  
trying to pretend they were a grown man and woman. She would have laughed  
in their faces but considering the state Mrs Jenkins was in, Lucy thought  
it best if she just went along with what they wanted.  
  
Slowly she got up and moved towards the door to the supply room. Edward  
had become extremely security conscious since the children were born and  
had made sure that there were fresh supplies stocked into the cellar  
every month. There should be plenty to entertain the children and  
hopefully, something that would distract Cora from her missing child. As  
she opened the door something clattered to the floor causing Lucy to  
jump. As she shone her candle into the darkness the silvery metal tip of  
a blunt dagger gleamed in the light. Thinking that it could be useful,  
she pocketed it and continued with her search. The water and towels were  
quickly identified and placed near the door ready to take them out but  
surely there had to be something to stop Alexandra's snivels and keep  
Bryant from acting like his snobby father. She searched until she heard  
the voice of her youngest charge in the doorway.  
  
"Aren't you coming? Bryant says mother is ill. She needs help now." Lucy  
always marvelled at the totally calm way the little girl could deliver  
the news. Considering the state she was in earlier it was almost  
unbelievable that she could be so relaxed now.  
  
"I'm coming!" Reluctantly she gave up her search for some form of  
entertainment for the children and returned to her mistress. Upon seeing  
her lying across the mattress Lucy knew that she had fallen asleep in  
utter exhaustion.  
  
Thankfully she settled the children on the other mattress and sat down to  
fall asleep herself when there was a sharp rap at the door. Not wanting  
to wake the others Lucy rushed to open the door to see Edward standing  
before her.  
  
"Hello Lucinda. Is all of my family here?"  
  
"No Sir. Mister Astley is not here. Madam is very upset about it." Lucy  
curtsied politely as her employer passed into the room. Edward only  
thought for a moment before he made his decision.  
  
"Go out and find Astley! I shall deal with my wife. Come straight back  
once you have found him. Cora will be somewhat anxious to see that he is  
safe." Upon hearing these words it became abundantly clear to Lucy  
exactly how much he cared for Astley. He didn't care at all. For if he  
had cared at all he would have searched for his wife's son himself yet  
instead he had sent a female servant. He didn't give a damn whether  
Astley and Lucy returned to the cellar or not. Well she would find her  
friend and really annoy her boss by returning.  
  
The streets were rapidly emptying as she made her way through town. Many  
people stopped only long enough to offer her a place to hide. She had no  
idea where to look for Astley and the offer of a refuge was very enticing  
but she had declined them all. She had promised to find Astley and was  
determined to do so. The only place she could think of looking was under  
the bridge near the beach. It was a favourite hideout for them all and  
she could only assume that he had gone there. The dark of the Caribbean  
night was still around her and everything was eerily quiet. No one  
patrolled the fort as per usual and no one single drunken man lurched  
home from the public house. Even the bird seemed to have gone. The panic  
was rapidly rising in her throat when she reached the bridge and began to  
slide down the banking. Thankfully she could hear voices and knew that at  
least she could take refuge with whoever turned out to be hiding here.  
  
"I'll miss mother and of course Lucy but they're not enough to keep me  
here. I hate this place and these pirates are my ticket out of here. You  
can stay if you want but I am going!" Lucy recognised that voice and knew  
that she had found her prey. By clearing her throat loudly she announced  
her presence and watched carefully as the two young men turned to see who  
it was that had joined them.  
  
It was Will that was first to his feet and he quickly dragged her into a  
hug.  
  
"Please tell this idiot that he can't just abandon his life here?"  
  
"Astley. Your mother is up at the house in floods of tears. She  
desperately needs to know that you are safe."  
  
"I'm very sorry for that but I can't stay here. I'll suffocate soon. I'm  
leaving with the pirates and you can either come or you can stay." There  
was a firmness in his voice that told them all that they could not  
convince him to stay.  
  
"Lucy, you should come too! You're just a servant girl here with no real  
prospects. I'm sorry to be harsh but it's true. You'd have a much better  
life out on the sea with Will and me."  
  
"Who said I was going?" Will protested weakly. Lucy realised in that  
feeble protest that Will would also give in and she would be left on this  
island where she had no family and her only two friends would be off  
exploring the world. Astley was scarily correct. She had no real  
prospects; she would be a servant all her life. Just maybe she deserved  
better.  
  
"Okay, I'm coming!" 


	3. The Hideaway

*I do not own PotC but I do own Astley, Lucy, Edward, Bryant and Alexandra! Yay!  
  
Lucy crouched in one of the prickly bushes on the edge of the beach, silently cursing herself and Will for allowing Astley to formulate their plan for getting on the pirate's ship. Even as a small child his plans were always useless and failed and now they had trusted him with getting them away from here. It gave her some comfort to know that the two boys were almost as uncomfortable as she was. They had been quietly chattering until they had seen the pirate ship approaching but when it had they had split and gone to hide in different places to give themselves maximum chances of getting on board.  
  
Since they had split the ship had come closer into the Port but nothing yet seemed to be happening. Lucy remained hiding in the bush, watching the sun rise and dreaming of the day that she was free of the constraints that bound her into her place as a mere servant girl in Port Royal. She had been serving the Jenkins family for almost three years, ever since the old maid had died of malaria. The Jenkins had desperately needed a new maid to see to clean the house and assist the nanny in looking after the children so they had simply chosen the first girl they had been able to find. Unfortunately for Lucy, that was her. Of course she couldn't claim to utterly despise the job. The other maids were her friends and even Cora and Edward weren't all that demanding. It was really the younger children that got on her nerves but their cute little smiles always melted her anger and she forgave them. It was just that she didn't like having her freedom restricted like it was. It meant that she couldn't see Will as often as she would like and she almost never saw her old friends from her childhood. Now she would never see them again.  
  
Does that bother me? I'll never see Ella and Deborah again. I'll never see Alexandra's cute little smile and Bryant running around the garden pretending to be a Commodore. No I don't think it does! They don't care about me - they'll be glad to see me gone except that it'll mean that Miss Cora will have to find a new maid.  
  
It was just after daybreak that the first pirate got off the ship. They flung a small wooden boat over board and the most strangely dressed man jumped out of the ship and into the boat. Another four followed him and they picked up the oars and began to row into the Port. Lucy held her breath, waiting for more pirates to follow but they didn't. Not a single person followed the others out. Surely there had to be more pirates than that.  
  
Will and Astley crept over to her bush after what seemed like ages. Lucy had been watching the pirates after they had landed on the beach. They had all disembarked from their small boat and had begun wandering up the beach. They had travelled in a group, stopping every so often to take a closer look at something or laugh at civilisation in general. They had been particularly amused when they had come to the sign that announced that Port Royal was a British colony and was presided over by Governor Swann and his world famous army.  
  
"His world famous army?" They had scoffed. "They could never possibly kill a pirate so they can't be that good can they?" Lucy had been enchanted watching their easy swagger and gently banter among each other. There was a woman among the group who didn't seem as relaxed as the others but there was no questioning the fact that she was having a great time. It had been her that gave away the reason for their presence in Port Royal.  
  
"So, Jack, where's this blasted woman of yours?"  
  
"I dunno! Could be anywhere. She could a' left here already, moved on, so to speak. Or she might be dead!" One of the other men had laughed at this but had quickly stopped when the man named Jack glared at him. Rustling in the bushes beside her caught her by surprise but it was only her friends.  
  
"We think that's all that are on board. We're going to go for it now before the guards start firing." Astley whispered.  
  
"Come on Lucy. This one is my plan not Astley's." After another few moments they began to creep along the beach towards the ship. Will looked back and grinned cheekily.  
  
"Hope you can swim, Luce, because I shall not be the one that drags you onto that ship."  
  
"Of course I know how to swim. I am not some rich girl like Elizabeth Swann!" Upon mentioning the name of the governor's only daughter Lucy noticed that Will hesitated for a moment and swallowed hard before continuing to crawl along the beach.  
  
He must love her more than I thought. Maybe he's finally realised that he hasn't got a chance with her. Ow. stone.  
  
The water was cold as the three slipped in and began to stroke across to the ship. When Lucy stopped shivering she found that her dress was actually a lot heavier than she had thought and it was proving difficult to keep going. She was determined though. Lucinda de Winter was getting out of Port Royal and she was never going back. By the time she reached the ship the boys were nearly on the deck. Will had dropped a rope down to help her climb up which she did easily, muttering about how he underestimated her abilities. When they reached the top they peeked over the side to see what was going on. Two pirates were sword fighting on the starboard side and the rest were gathered around them, cheering them on, shouting and swearing at the fighters. There seemed to be a great deal of rum being passed around and lying a little away from the rest one man had already passed out and sprawled across the floor.  
  
"We could easily get on unnoticed. They'd never hear a thing they're so drunk."  
  
"I wish I'd brought a sword. I bet I could beat any of them. Look at their footwork - it's so shoddy. Even Lucy could beat them." Will was rewarded with a sharp slap across the back of his head.  
  
"You're just jealous because I'm better than you!" Lucy smirked before climbing quietly over the side. The two boys followed her but Astley landed awkwardly and clattered to the floor. They held their breath while waiting to see if anyone had heard but apparently the rum had already taken affect and they were all too drunk to notice. The stairs that led below deck were nearby and since there wasn't anywhere else to hide, Will took the opportunity and hurried down, hoping that everyone was upstairs. The other followed and soon they had found a large-ish cupboard that they could all fit into. There wasn't much breathing room but Lucy was so glad to be safely hidden away at last that she fell asleep almost straight away in Will's arms.  
  
It wasn't long until they were rudely awoken when a pirate had yanked the cupboard door open.  
  
"Hey, this isn't rum!" He stated stupidly. "Who are you? Hey Gabby, we've got some people here!"  
  
"He's drunk!" Will whispered. Lucy rolled her eyes. Will hadn't yet lost his talent for stating the blindingly obvious.  
  
"It's GIBBS!" Another man yelled from a distance. They could hear his footsteps coming closer and Lucy could feel the fear coming up her throat ready to choke her.  
  
"What be ye doing here?" the man asked. "Get outta there and up to deck afore Jack gets back!" Slowly they all climbed out, fearful of what would happen when this "Jack" got there.  
  
[A/N; I had to change some of the times around so that the story would fit properly. I managed to mess it up so changes are: Cora arrived in Port Royal eighteen years ago not sixteen and Astley is seventeen not fifteen. Sorry] 


	4. Bitter Memories

By the time she was back up on deck Lucy's nerves had receded to being merely anxious. She had realised that they were not yet far out enough for her to be unable to jump into the water and swim back if the pirates threatened them. Will had clearly not realised this yet and from her place beside him Lucy could feel his body shaking. Astley as per usual was far too stupid to realise what might happen to them. They waited for minutes only before Jack swung himself back up on deck and began a conversation with Gibbs. Lucy didn't know what was being said but there was a lot of gesturing involved and the occasional stare at the three of them.  
  
"You are all from Port Royal, I assume?" Gibbs said as the group of pirates wandered over to Will, Astley and Lucy.  
  
"Yes." Said Astley boldly. Perhaps Lucy had been wrong about Astley. She had thought he was being stupid rather than brave but he didn't seem too put out by the way the pirates were looking at them.  
  
"Do you. by any chance. know a Cora Smith?" the pirate named Jack asked casually.  
  
"Yes she's my -" Astley was silenced by Will's foot connecting with his shin and he moaned in agony.  
  
"Yes, she lives in Port Royal."  
  
"Really? What is she like? What does she do? Does she have any children?" Jack spoke so quickly that Anna Maria and Gibbs stared at him for a moment - stunned by the clarity in his speech which was usually dripping with alcohol.  
  
"She's married to a General with two children, Bryant and Alexandra. She seems very happy with her life." Lucy spoke up quickly to stop Astley from answering. They didn't yet know why this strange pirate was interested in Miss Cora but she didn't want to risk him cutting off her friend's head simply because he didn't like her.  
  
"She's married?" the man whispered quietly. It almost sounded as though he had a lump in his throat but if he had he swallowed it quickly and went on with the conversation.  
  
"Used to know her. She wasn't very nice at all." He grinned before demanding that a man named Gibbs should show Astley and Will where they could sleep and Anna Maria should help Lucy.  
  
******  
  
The next few days went very peacefully for the three newest pirates on board. Gibbs truly seemed to like the two boys and enjoyed their company as though they were his equals in every way and Anna Maria definitely liked having another female on board. She spent many hours telling Lucy exactly how to behave and what to do if one of the other pirates got too drunk and tried to get too close. It was during one of these conversations that Anna Maria discovered that Lucy was very talented when it came to sword fighting as a result of the endless days spent with Will fighting out their anger and frustrations. They had both become extremely good in the weeks following Lucy's mother's death. No one else had seemed to care that Lucy had been left an orphan but Will had given up weeks of blacksmith training to comfort her. Anna Maria quickly realised that it was Will and Lucy that were the closest with Astley simply being a friend to Will when he felt he needed to talk to another boy. She also swiftly established that for some unknown reason Jack was intensely interested in the three new recruits. Usually he hardly bothered to dignify the existence of any new pirates until they had proved their worth but he had taken to questioning them all, sometimes quite harshly, about life in Port Royal. Eventually Jack discovered that Lucy and Will were of humble beginnings and therefore would have almost never spoken to or indeed ever seen Cora so he disregarded them and trusted Gibbs and Anna Maria to see that they didn't make any mistakes that would perhaps cost them their lives. Although Jack did know that Lucy was Cora's servant that just served to belittle Lucy and make Cora appear even grander to Jack. He waved away her descriptions of Cora's character and instead concentrated on what Astley was saying, seeing as Astley was of noble birth and knew Cora - what Jack did not know was how well Astley knew Cora.  
  
Anna Maria had never enjoyed her time on the Pearl so much. Although she had always liked living on board she had never had the comfort of female company before and she intended to enjoy it while it lasted. While she liked Lucy very much, Anna Maria could help but doubt how the younger girl would survive in such a harsh environment. Although Lucy had lived a much more insensitive life to that of Astley she was certainly not cut out for the life of a pirate unless she changed herself completely. She may have been poor by English standards but by the standards of a female pirate - the lowest on the food chain - Lucy was doing damned well. She was well nourished, if slightly thin, well clothed and most of all she had two friends that would do anything for her. Anna Maria had none of these luxuries. She didn't even have two true friends in the whole world. It was true that Jack would do almost anything for her. He would defend her life but she knew that if he was called to sacrifice her or his beloved ship there would be no saving her. Gibbs was good to her because he was a good man. He treated her well and he loved her in his own way but again he was too much of a follower to make a stand for her against the others. The rest of the pirates only tolerated her for the simple reason that she was an excellent sea woman. She knew the sea with every fibre of her being and they knew that they would never be able to replace her knowledge. Lucy and her friends could possibly change everything for her though. If they had the courage to demand respect for Lucy then everything could change for Anna Maria and that was something she'd been desperate for as long as she'd been on this blasted ship. Of course, she'd thought of leaving many times but she never could get up the nerve to actually do it. She loved the freedom that the Pearl gave her, working like a man and not being treated like some posh lady and although she would never admit it to anyone, least of all herself, she loved Captain Jack Sparrow. She could still remember how glad she'd been when Jack and Cora had had their final argument and Jack had dumped his wife at the nearest port he could find. That was back in the days where Anna was at her most miserable. It was just after the time where Anna and Jack had ended their relationship. It hadn't gone on long enough to be serious for either of them but during that short period Anna had discovered enough about Jack to fall for him. Not totally, of course, she was a pirate and she couldn't afford to totally fall for any man - no matter how wonderful he may be but she fell just enough to know that she couldn't live with or without him. Then he had shattered her dreams by leaving her for Cora. The terrible thing had been that he had loved Cora more than he had loved Anna. That was what she couldn't forgive Cora for and was why she had advised Cora as she had. As she sat listening to that final fight, hidden from sight, she had prayed that Cora would end things with Jack and walk off the ship. She had been so happy when Cora had left that she spent the next weeks 'enjoying' herself as much as any of the men but when she realised that Jack would never love her as he loved Cora she gave up hope.  
  
Jack sat slumped on his bed with his head in his hands, a stance almost never seen in the pirate and not a bottle of rum to be seen. He appeared so despairing when he looked like that. Almost as though someone had just died.  
  
"What's wrong with ye?" Anna asked, truly believing that he should be over Cora by this time.  
  
"My bloody wife just left me!" was the terse reply.  
  
"That was over three weeks ago Jack. This ship needs you. I need you."  
  
"I should throw ye overboard for that. I loved Cora and that kills ye, doesn't it?" he had growled at her. It had been the first time in three weeks that he had been able to look her in the eye and Anna got the shock of her life when she realised that Jack, of all people, was disgusted by her.  
  
That was the exact moment she had given up all hope of Jack ever loving her again. After seventeen years he had become fond of her but that was all. 


End file.
